Works Cited

Works Cited

Mallers, Melanie H., Matt Englar Carlson, and Jon Carlson. "Father-Son Relationships." Poisonous parenting: Toxic relationships between parents and their adult children. 119-143. New York, NY, US: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2011. PsycINFO. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.

The above source provides commentary on the relationship between fathers and sons, which is a very important aspect in my essay. I will be analyzing the relationship between Hal and Cully, and how it affects both of their lives. This source will provide me with a basis of how father-son relationships work, and how they can go wrong.

Richardson, Shandel. "Father-son relationship suitable for the movies." Orlando Sentinel, The (FL) 15 Aug. 2008, FINAL, SPORTS: D1. NewsBank. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.

Although this news article is older than five years, it examines a relationship between a father and son deeply rooted in football, which I feel will help to progress my essay. Some quotes in this article will help compare and contrast Hal and Cully with another football-oriented father-son relationship.

Steinke, René. Friendswood. New York City: Riverhead, 2014. Print.

This is the book that contains the two major characters I will be speaking about in my essay, Cully Holbrook and Hal Holbrook. Using this book will allow me to analyze how their relationship affects their individual lives.

Warren, Roland C. “The 4 Things Every Son Needs From His Father.” Oprah.com, 25 Mar. 2013, www.oprah.com/relationships/father-son-relationships-things-only-a-dad-can-teach-his-kids.
This blog post / article posted on Oprah Winfrey’s website presents advice from a father about the things that a child needs from a father. I will use this information to compare the things that Mr. Warren feels are necessary to children and the things that Hal may or may not be giving to Cully. This will help me by serving as a baseline for father-son relationships.

10 Questions, Topic, and Working Thesis

10 Questions

1. How does Hal’s past affect Cully’s future?
2. How does this relationship play into what happened with Willa?
3. How does Hal’s reaction to the rape affect Cully’s thoughts on the matter?
4. What internal struggle does Cully face that stems from his relationship with his father?
5. How does Cully influence Hal’s striving for success?
6. Are Hal and Cully helping each other or hindering each other in their own pursuits?
7. Why does Cully take Jose as a father figure over his own father?
8. How does Hal react to Jose?
9. How does Hal's reaction to Jose affect the relationship between Hal and Cully?
10. How does Cully mirror his father? How does he differ?

Topic

My essay will delve into the relationship between Cully and his father, Hal. It will analyze both the effects they have on each other as well as their general feelings towards one another. More specifically, I will talk about how they fall into each other's walks of life, and how they either help or hinder each other.

Working Thesis

In Friendswood by Rene Steinke, Cully is most influenced by his father, Hal. The relationship between a father and son is the most important relationship in a young man's life, especially in regards to the way he will act in his adult life.

Positive Accountability - Cully & Willa

Discuss the letter Willa receives in the mail. Discuss positive accountability. Is the letter a true definition of accountability?

     In Friendswood by René Steinke, Cully Holbrook drunkenly rapes a young girl who was drugged at a party. Although there are witnesses, the case never makes it to a courtroom because Willa's parents disallow her from sharing information with the police. The reader learns later on in the book that Cully was so intoxicated that he didn't remember having sex with Willa, and that as soon as he realized it he stopped. Although the event still took place, one can assume that this is not a part of Cully's character as the memory of it eats at him. When he's talking about his friends, the book reads "...with them, there would be more accidental fuckups like the one with Willa Lambert, which still clawed at him, the way her face looked when she'd passed out in the bed" (Steinke 351). Despite his apologetic disposition, it is very difficult for him to express his regret for forcibly having sex with her. What could he say; "Sorry that I raped you."? Taking accountability for such a thing has no precedent because forgiveness is not to be expected from a victim of such an act. Cully, a man of character who realized the huge error he made by sacrificing his judgement to alcohol, at least takes a step towards positive accountability.

     Positive accountability is the acknowledgement of an error, an offer to repair the damage if necessary, and the expression of emotion without the use of criticism (Alasko 124). Willa Lambert receives a letter in the mail from an anonymous sender who is undoubtedly Cully Holbrook. The letter reads, 

"I AM SORRY FOR WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS DRUNK. BUT I COULD HAVE STOPPED IT. YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE THERE. YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING" (Steinke 379). 

He does not sign his name anywhere on the letter, and some might say that this is hiding behind a veil and not true accountability. However, it is common knowledge to Willa and others in the town that Cully is the offender. Not signing his name does not completely diminish the attempt he made to apologize for the unforgivable. Even though the letter may bring back the thoughts of the event to Willa, Cully wrote it with good intentions, if not for her peace of mind, his own. Now back to the question of positive accountability.

     Firstly, the accountability must acknowledge an error. Although Cully did not write his name, he did acknowledge the error he made. Next, an offer to repair the damage. This point is simply not applicable in this situation, as the sex between Willa and Cully can never be undone. Finally, an expression of emotion without the use of criticism. In the letter, Cully hits these two points with the same two lines.

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE THERE. YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING" (Steinke 379). 

He removes all blame from her, does not criticise, and shows regret through his words. By acknowledging that she didn't know what was happening or where she was, Cully tells her that she should not in any way feel responsible for what happened to her. According to Carl Alasko, author of Beyond Blame: Eliminating the Most Toxic Form of BS from Your Life, Cully used positive accountability. He did not apologize because he thought he would get in trouble, nor did the law force him to write to Willa. He did it because he felt truly sorry for what had occurred.
     Was Cully's accountability enough? Some may say not, but what would be enough? There is no way to reverse what happened. He could, perhaps, make a more formal apology, but Willa's possible reaction to him is unknown, and therefore could be a bad thing. Cully did not do everything in his power to apologize, but this is something that is very difficult to apologize for, especially because forgiveness is not to be expected. Overall, his letter was a form of positive accountability; perhaps not the best form, but a form nonetheless.

Works Cited

Alasko, Carl. Beyond Blame: Eliminating the Most Toxic Form of BS from Your Life. New York:            Tarcher, 2011. Print.

Steinke, Rene. Friendswood. New York: Riverhead, 2014. Print.

Who to blame?

How does Hal use blame to protect Cully and himself? What is Hal trying to protect himself from?     

      Cully's recent activity has been generating a stir in the town, as the star football player can no longer play right at the height of the season. Hal blames Cully's actions on human nature as well as the "boys will be boys" argument. "He knew part of this was just boy stuff. How many bold-faced lies had he told his own dad so he could go out drinking beer at the Ice Haus pool hall?" (Steinke 130). When Cully admits that he had sex with a drunk girl, Hal responds in an extremely sexist way. The following statement places blame on Willa for being a "girl like that," and takes some of the blame off of Cully. 

"There always were and always would be girls like that, Hal told him, but it was a man's job to judge the situation." (Steinke 149).  

     Hal is very clearly disturbed by his past. He constantly recounts times where he messed up and did things that he later regretted. Because of these events in his life, Hal fears what will happen to his son, Cully, who is drinking alcohol and getting into fights. Hal used to play football, and wants Cully to still be able to continue because of his level of skill. His status on the football team is one of the only things keeping him out of serious trouble. Hal is not only trying to protect Cully, however. He is also attempting to protect himself from looking like a bad role model and father. Most of the people Hal interacts with on a daily basis do not know that he was an unfaithful alcoholic. If they ever were to find out, Hal assumes they would instantly think that his past has a direct connection to the way Cully is acting. Therefore, Hal protects himself from shame by protecting Cully.

     

     Hal is also protecting himself by protecting his family name, which relies heavily on Cully. In his misogynistic mind, a man is the head of the family and therefore accountable for all members of the family. "Hal prayed to bring goodness and rightness back to his family.... Hal knew he could pass his success on to Cully too...." (Steinke 149). Obviously, this father wants the best for his child, yet maybe for the wrong reasons. Protecting himself and his image seems to be the biggest of his concerns, to the point where he is thinking about work while helping his son with a stranded car. He cannot even give his undivided attention to one thing due to his constant struggle for wealth and prosperity, the sole thing he chooses to repeatedly pray for. 

High School football protected Cully from serious punishment, and is a legacy that Hal wants him to carry on.

Discuss Dex’s mother’s reaction to learning that perhaps Dex attended the party.  Who does she blame?  What does her response reveal about her character?

     Dex's mother inherently trusts her son, and does not ask whether or not he was at the party where Willa was raped. Dex was afraid that if he told her, he would have difficulty getting her to believe that he wasn't drunk and wasn't involved, although her trust in him would have probably pulled through. Even if she assumes he was at the party, her blame was placed on the other members there, and she never even questions that her son was involved.

"I really can't believe it - Steve Snow and Cully Holbrook? They were both there?" (Steinke 181).

     Dex tells his mother that she is blaming the wrong people, and that the guys didn't know what was happening. This revelation of details leads the reader to believe that his mother thinks he attended the party. Regardless, she still leaves any possibility of blaming her son out of the question, literally not even questioning him. "My Dex knows how to control himself, no matter what present he's offered." This interaction shows that Dex's mother is deeply biased for her children, refusing to believe that they can do wrong. She will easily blame anybody else, as long as the blame is not on her or her family. This defense mechanism tells the reader that she may have insecurities about honor and pride, which play into her response to this event.

Dex's mother is quick to place blame on every person at the party, assuming they all knew what was happening above them.

Dex begins to befriend Willa. Is his friendship genuine? Why does he befriend Willa? Does he blame himself for what happens to her?

     The job of the reader is very difficult when decoding the relationship between Willa and Dex. Dex's friendship towards Willa is undoubtedly genuine, and he has a crush on her. He befriends Willa for multiple reasons. Firstly, the crush that Dex has had on Willa has been growing and festering, and now he sees the opportunity to work with her on a school project. Though the school project is not a primary reason that he is working with Willa, he does truly care about her and wants to help her. He may not be of much help with the project, but genuine human interaction must be very relieving after some time in social house arrest. 

     Although Dex doesn't directly blame himself for what happened, he knows that he could have done something, and therefore feels guilty. He now feels like he has a debt to repay to Willa, like he owes her something that he'll never be able to pay back. When confronted about Willa by the other guys, he responds by asking if they're threatening him.

"That was a pisspoor way of standing up for Willa, but it was the best he could do right now.

     Dex's crush on Willa most likely plays into the awful feeling that exists every time he thinks about the event. He gets defensive towards the guys, and only finds solace in it when talking to Willa's friend Dani. He looks at Willa's empty desk and takes a big move to be able to see her without arousing too much suspicion. He brings her flowers to show that he likes her, but her response to them is almost non-existent. The difficulty is deciding whether these things are on account of his crush on her, his guilt of not helping her, or some sad, confusing combination of both. Based on the evidence, it's both.  

 

The Incompetence of City Hall and the EPA

      Lee Knowles lost a child to a blood disease that was caused by chemicals in Banes Field. The people were not informed of the true danger that the buried chemicals in Rosemont held, and through speculation, the Environmental Protection Agency was most likely being paid to keep quiet. It’s too easy for a large realty or construction firm to throw money around and brush serious health concerns under the rug. What happens now? The damage is done, but now a group wants to begin building on the land that is still riddled with toxins and other harmful chemicals. This woman who has gone through the unimaginable, the loss of a child, is now fighting to show the people that the land is not safe like the EPA and city hall claim, but a desolate wasteland, a literal land of waste. Their response? Ridicule.

       It seems like every person in this city is against Lee Knowles, with the exception of her friends, Maisie Rodgers and Doc. City Hall never seems to have time for her. “She’d expected to get a call from Mayor Wallen by 4:00 at the latest, but she just kept working, thinking he might call before 6:00.” (Steinke 31). 

When she finally got a hold of the mayor, he told her that she could check for the container herself, which had obviously been removed or reburied quickly. At City Hall meetings, Lee had to sit in the front just to be noticed, because the mayor and other members of the meetings did not want to listen to her. They saw her as a tree-hugger and an econut. One can see the contemptuous tone that the authority figures speak to Lee with. Councilman Burns said, “We’re very familiar with your work, Ms. Knowles,” signifying that everyone knows that her work is something to be ridiculed and dismissed. The City Hall is supposed to be for the people, run by those voted for by the people. However, this City Hall seems preoccupied with bettering the economy and making the town look better, both physically and on paper. At what cost? The lives of your citizens? City Hall is not upholding their responsibility to protect the citizens of Friendswood.

       City Hall isn’t the only institution coming up short of their mission. The Environmental Protection Agency, a government organization designed to protect the earth and make it a safe, habitable home for people, is doing very much the opposite. 

Because the EPA is a government association, it is common knowledge that it has government funding. This funding allows for the most up to date, state of the art equipment for testing soil. However, time after time again, they say Rosemont has safe earth. The reader, knowing that the soil is very much not safe, can assume that they are being paid, threatened, or both to keep quiet about the dangerous chemicals that infest the ground and infect the people. This is a group that also continues to patronize Lee and ignore her continuous efforts to provide a real, unaltered soil test. “[Ms. Dawson] addressed Lee directly. ‘We have our study. I’d be happy to take a look at your results.’” Lee, knowing she would be ignored again, felt the need to respond, “‘Just give me the address, not the general EPA one, but yours in particular.’” (Steinke 90). The fact the Lee needs to request an address just to make sure somebody actually reads her report shows that she has been repeatedly thwarted and humiliated because of this case. The EPA and City Hall are both failing to protect the citizens of Friendswood. They see Lee Knowles as a hindrance to the building of new homes, despite the pieces of evidence that she has brought forward proving the land unfit for human habitation. It’s a good thing Lee is speaking, because the people who are supposed to help are doing quite the opposite.

Works Cited

       Steinke, Rene. Friendswood. Print.

Dissent

When is it permissible to dissent? Who should speak?

     Most people are aware of the previous belief that the earth is flat. This was a commonly accepted fact in Greece, India, and China, arguably the three most intelligent civilizations. When did this notion lose its motion? Did the entire world turn around and say, “our planet is round” simultaneously, as if the paradigm of a single plane had fallen off the edge of the earth itself? Of course not! Somebody, an individual, had to speak against the popular beliefs in order to make a significant difference in “what the world believes.” Pythagoras and Aristotle respectively invented and helped carry on the idea of a spherical earth. This information may seem irrelevant to the topic at hand, but this is the point: without dissent, the world would have believed that the earth is flat for much longer than it did. Dissent is essential to the progression of society and mankind as a whole. 

     

     In René Steinke’s Friendswood, Lee Knowles is the only person in her community who is willing to fight against the construction of residential properties near an unsafe, chemical-ridden building site. She is practicing dissent, because while she fights against the building, most of the others advocate for the construction to stimulate the economy and create jobs. The people believe the EPA’s constant claims that the land is safe, despite the evidence that Lee has presented of a large chemical tank sitting on the surface of the land. Her dedication to this problem is fueled by her daughter’s death, which was brought on by the very chemicals in Banes Field. Although her reason for dissent is personal, it is also in the best interest of the public to not be exposed to dangerous toxins, and therefore this reason to speak out is very valid.

     

     If any person’s welfare is compromised, there is reason to dissent. However, this statement cannot be taken at face value. If a person or persons are in danger or placed in an unnecessarily uncomfortable position, there may be grounds for speaking out. This truly is a “play it by ear” scenario, as there are many factors that can play into how a person reacts. Just because a train is running late does not mean that the people shout riot against SEPTA. There is a difference between inconvenience and compromised living conditions. If a person or somebody they know is being hurt physically or emotionally, then somebody should say something in a way that is both conducive to the cause and equal to the harm being done. For example, if a person slips because there isn’t a wet floor sign, and the person does not get seriously hurt, there are not grounds to call for the termination of the company in offense. The person who dissents should only make a stand as large as the problem at hand. But who is the person who dissents?

     

     Based on the evidence in the novel so far, it seems that the EPA knows about the chemicals and unsafe living conditions, but is being paid by the rich construction company to keep quiet. Although Lee is the one speaking out about the diseases that can be caused by the toxic waste that was buried in Banes Field, it is the job of the Environmental Protection Agency to “ensure that all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work….” (Our Mission). If this government program does not tell the people about the dangerous conditions, then who will? Any bystander who allows wrongdoing to be done is in as low of a standing as the wrongdoer him/herself. It is the job of any person who sees a problem to report that problem to the proper authorities. If nothing is done, then it is time to share your dissent with a greater population, and gain more support. Every person that believes in your position is another step closer to solving your problem, because there truly is power in numbers. 

     

     In the extremely troubling case of Brock Turner and the woman he assaulted, who should dissent? Who is there to speak out against what is going on? This Olympic hopeful committed an act which calls for ten years of prison, only five of which are usually served. With a potential fourteen years behind bars, Brock served a measly 92 days. Why? Because he was a good swimmer? Because “boys will be boys?” Because she was drunk and doesn’t know if she gave consent? Consent cannot be given while drunk, and Brock’s ignorance of that fact does not affect is status as a fact. The victim and her family spoke out against the judge’s decision to give Brock a short sentence. When they did this, others saw and joined their cause, and they had one million people vote to remove the judge from his position. Despite the voters’ inability to remove him from the bench (as of now), the support means a lot to the victim and her family, and the dissent from the judge’s decision has brought the issue to the attention of many more people.

     So to give the most straightforward answer available, it is okay to dissent when harm is being done to a person, as long as the dissent is equal to the harm being done. If people begin to make a lot of noise about smaller events, dissent will become trite. It is the moral responsibility of any person witnessing wrongdoing to speak out against it and advocate for the well being of the people being offended. 

Works Cited

"Our Mission and What We Do." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 18 Aug. 2016. Web.

Baker, Katie. "Here  is The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read Aloud to her Attacker." BuzzFeed.com BuzzFeed, 3 Jan. 2016. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.

Friendswood 1-30

Who are the main characters thus far? How do you know?  What quotes from the text can you use to show how they're described?

In Friendswood, a novel by René Steinke, Lee seems to be the most important character from the first thirty pages of reading. She is the only one who seems to care about the land that was destroyed by the oil spill, and despite the possibility of arrest and legal trouble, she is still going beyond her boundaries and attempting to prove that the property is unfit for human living. This is evident in her excitement when she finds the upturned chemical tank. We can tell that Hal will be a main character as well, because of the conflict he faces which will so readily help thicken the plot and develop the storyline. Hal is consumed by his real estate business and his inability to live up to Christian ideals, as well as his previous bout with alcoholism. He also feels constant guilt about his affair with Dawn, and he almost has to talk himself into loving his wife. “‘Stop me from worrying,’ he said, and as soon as he said it, he felt a wave of warmth for Darlene again….” Meanwhile, he wishes for his son, Cully, to follow the Bible. Cully is a very fluent and nimble football player, and Hal is almost jealous of how much better his son is able to play than him.

How is Friendswood described? What quotes from the text can you use to support your answer? 

Friendswood is described as a small, close-knit town where everybody knows your name. In the first chapter/prologue (1993 Rosemont), the neighbors all know Jess and watch her ride the horse. A seemingly insignificant event, it actually shows the unity between all of the neighbors as they each do their own things but continue to watch the horse gallop out to the fence and back. “She rode right up to the azaleas and bellflowers in the garden, bowed her head, and the McHughs applauded.” After the spill, it seems like it’s unsafe to go outdoors in this area, which the reader learns from the encounter between Lee and Jess. “Don’t go outside. Stay in here,” Lee says to Jess. While Lee was washing the sludge off of her hands, she told Jess that there was “bad stuff out there.” Although it used to be a family-friendly area, after the oil spill it is no longer safe for children to play outside. In the prologue, nothing was mentioned of alcoholism, infidelity, or Satan, which were all spoken about in the following chapters. It seems like the oil spill had a very negative effect on Friendswood, not only affecting the land, but also creating tension regarding both work (house sales) and play (Jess not being able to play outside).